


Strike!

by jennifer_grace



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: #Claire Browne, #Dr. Browne, #Dr. Claire Browne, #Dr. Melendez, #Dr. Neil Melendez, #Melendaire, #Neil Melendez, #The Good Doctor, Claire Browne - Freeform, Dr. Browne, Dr. Claire Browne - Freeform, Dr. Melendez - Freeform, Dr. Neil Melendez - Freeform, F/M, Melendaire, Neil Melendez - Freeform, The Good Doctor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:14:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22983856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennifer_grace/pseuds/jennifer_grace
Summary: Claire Browne and Neil Melendez have another secret platonic meet-up.  After finding that Claire has trouble bowling, Neil is to the rescue and it may or may not end with a perfect kiss.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Strike!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I’m new here and this is my first ever post, so if it’s a bit crappy I’m sorry. I’m not a great writer but I hope you enjoy my fanfiction from the bowling scene towards the end of 3x16 of The Good Doctor. Bye!

Neil Melendez stood leaning on a table in the bowling alley, waiting for his colleague (and friend) Claire Browne to arrive.

He was sipping slowly from his whiskey glass, staring longingly into space when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him.

Neil turned around to see a very beautiful lady with very curly brown hair and a warm smile walking up to him. He handed Claire a pair of bowling shoes and invited her to sit.

“Isn’t it weird how we have to work so hard to hide a strictly platonic relationship?” Claire spoke, slipping the worn shoes onto her feet after sitting down.

“It is,” Neil said. “But it’s worth it.”

Claire’s smile was now stretching from ear to ear as she pulled off her coat and lay it gently on her chair.

“Well, let’s start?” Claire looked up at Neil.

“Sure,” he said, setting down his whiskey on the table. “Let’s start.”

The two alternated taking their turns, each getting a good laugh’s work out of Claire’s feeble attempts to keep the ball on the lane.

“Maybe I should have paid those extra two bucks for the lane rails.” Neil laughed and shook his head at Claire.

“Well if you’re so good at it, then why don’t you teach me how to do it correctly?” Claire looked amusedly frustrated and motioned for Neil to come join her.

“Oh, alright,” he said, walking over to where she stood. “Just stand in a position like this...” He gently guided her limbs into stance and held her right hand that was holding the ball. “Now aim,” he began. “And pull back.” He guided her hand backwards gently, gripping her shoulder to keep her in place.

Claire could feel his breath on her back, and his words soft but clear in her ear. This made her heart beat faster and even less steady than it already was.

“Now release.” His voice sent shivers down Claire’s spine, and she swung the ball forward and let go. It rolled, and it rolled, and it rolled. Finally it hit the pins at the end knocking each of them down perfectly.

Claire stood in awe at the Strike, baffled at how she had done it. She spun around immediately to kiss Neil on the lips but stopped herself just in time, reminding herself that they weren’t dating and that could and would never happen. They were colleagues and both of their jobs would be at risk.

She sighed to herself and looked deeply into Neil’s eyes, his staring right back into hers.

“Good job, Claire.” Neil turned back to his whiskey, tearing away from their intense eye-locking moment. Claire remained still, contemplating the recent events.

“Maybe I should have kissed him anyways. No one would have known,” she thought to herself. “But no, we can’t...”

After a moment’s discussion with herself, Claire walked up to Neil and asked him, “May I kiss you?” Neil whipped around to face Claire and looked her dead in the eye with a questioning look. Claire interpreted this to mean that he didn’t want to kiss her back, but just as she was about to apologize his lips crashed down on hers.

The kiss was harsh yet gentle. Brutal but beautiful. They each had been dreaming of this moment for some time, but neither ever made any moves for it. But this was it. It was happening. It seemed to go on for decades until it all ended when Morgan Reznick entered the alley.

“Looks like my favoritism complaint didn’t help matters much,” she said, staring at them with a menacing glare. Suddenly her hard mood turned to an overly proud one and she announced, “Well, I’ll let you get back to it then!” And with that she left the two of them staring wide eyed in horror at where she was previously standing.

The end!!


End file.
